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January 18, 2011
The truck has been custom reupholstered. Design by me, work by Touch of Class Interiors, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
I have pictures on photobucket http://s621.p.../1953GMChevy/
July 28, 2010
My truck has been entered in the Mar-K Gallery. For those who don't know Mar-K makes some of the finest truck bed reproduction parts around. I could win a free T-Shirt with a little voting help from my friends. Voting is free and unanimous so you won't be getting a bunch of spam.
Just click or copy/paste this link: http://www.ma...s/cvList.aspx and look for the 53 GMC 1 Ton/53 Chevrolet 3600
Vernon Taylor

April 27, 2010
Success at last, the head gaskets have been replaced again and we are running at 160 degrees. The culprit was my cheap Harbor Freight torque wrench. I compared it to the old wrench with a scale and it was about 10 to 15 pounds off. That will be a good item to add to the scrap metal pile. Or maybe I will put a lug nut socket on it and use it as my lug wrench.

April 02, 2010
Well I am about to give up. This engine just will not run cool. 4-core radiator high volume water pump and two different sets of heads later it still gets so hot that it is boiling the gas in the carb. I have checked the timing a dozen times and it is always right on. It runs really good until it gets over 212 and then I have to pull over and let it cool down or get to the open road. Definitely not good in rush hour traffic. It is time to yank the motor out of the 80 Buick parts car and get it ready for the T'Mater.

February 01, 2010
Username change, and a brief update.
The Tmater has been running a little hot and I can't figure it out. The gauge reads just under 220 and I have verified it is correct with a thermometer. I replaced the thermostat, water pump and installed a new 4-core radiator, NO CHANGE. I just pulled the heads and flushed the water jackets and got a little bit of nastiness out of them but it still runs hot, maybe just a little bit hotter than before I pulled the heads. Anybody with ideas?

December 21, 2009
Happy Winter Solstice to all you Motortopians. Today is the first daily driver day for the Fried Green TMater. Thirty miles to work this morning and she was a little rough at the stop lights but other than that ran real well.

November 22 2009
Took the truck on its maiden voyage today. Drove about seven miles before running out of gas. I still need to get some fine tuning on the gas gauge done because it was still reading a little over empty when I ran out.

November 03, 2009
It's getting really close now. Need to paint the rear fenders and install the wood in the bed. The new picture if from a month or so ago, please stand by.

August 22, 2009
Today the "Fried Green T'Mater" made its first car show. It did not win anything probably because it is still too incomplete. pics of the show are posted on photobucket athttp://s621.p...niors%20show/

July 26, 2009
The height problem is sort of solved. we need to move the mount down an inch or so. I think we will go two and use shims to allow for wiggle room. Scratched the paint installing the rear window so we will be repainting the white in the next couple days then it's interior will get some attention.

July 22, 2009
We have run into a little snag, the front is too high. We put it all together before paint but we never took the time to make sure the hood would close. we are going to have to cut off our radiator support mounts and lower them so the hood will line up properly. they are welded on really good so it will probably take a couple hours just to cut them off.

July 13, 2009
reassembly begins with the front fenders and the radiator. It is now driveable.

May 29, 2009
Thanks to my friend and his dad and uncle, the cab and front is primed and most of the body parts are painted. Will be repairing the cab corners this evening and finishing up the primer. She should be about ready to paint for Saturday.

May27, 2009
The truck is stripped of all old paint and we will be painting it in the next couple of days. Stay tuned for pictures.

May 12, 2009 08:09 am
Big improvements and progress is in the works. I have put together another engine for the 53Monster and will be installing it soon. want to get the frame clean and painted first and probably get the firewall at least in primer. Look for new pictures later this week.

Mar 16, 2009 12:00 am
As of today the album contains the pictures starting from two old frames sitting in the yard to something resembling a truck. We started it yesterday and it sounds really good. We will be installing the controls, brakes, accelerator and clutch pedals this week and hope to test drive it by the weekend.

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I have a new friend who is more excited about the Buick than I am. He came over last weekend and got me all motivated to get it ready to cruize. We rebuilt all the wheel cylinders and master cylinder so it now stops. The fuel pump started seeping, so I have a rebuild kit on the way for this coming weekend. We are looking for a welder we can afford so we can do the rocker panels and I noticed a small hole near the gas pedal when we were doing the brakes. I want to break out the power washer and get it cleaned up for some pictures weather permitting.

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I am pleased to announce the latest addition to my family at 3:15 pm Colorado time today. This is the 10 digit model with sugar and spice and everything nice. Her name is Sanaia (pronounced like Shanaia Twain without the H) She is 20 3/4" long and weighed in at 6lbs 11 oz. We are so proud and happy.

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I have been driving the Valiant without gas or temp guages so I have undertaken a repair solution I found on the MOPAR sites. It consists of installing a voltage regulator in the instrument cluster. See the pictures.

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For the first time the Valiant has let me down. It has been getting temperamental about starting lately, I turn the key and nothing happens. Until yesterday I would just keep trying and it would work after a few tries. Yesterday it gave up completely. Now I have to find a new or used ignition switch for a 44 year old car, what a challenge.

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I have checked out the stuff since I posted it here and the Stove/oven works except for that one bad burner, the fridge works on propane and electric, the furnace blower works but I didn't get the pilot light lit to see if it actually works, and all the lighting works on house current. I can't seem to get the 12v lighting to work, probably a blown fuse somewhere that I can't find. Mechanically it is pretty sound, it runs a little warm going up steep hills, I found documentation of a recent tranny rebuild and other maintenance repair information.
time to sell the camper. Everything works, but it will need a new propane tank and probably a new deep-cell battery. Mechanically it's in good shape, tires are very good, recent new exhaust, oil change and tuned. Needs a new ignition switch, has a push button for starting, and the camper door lock doesn't work.

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6/02 finally got all the little knick knacks back on the truck, now maybe I won't get drowned when it's wet out. Those drip rails actually work. no pictures yet.

5/23 Painted the whole thing last weekend and started the wet-sand for second coat yesterday. I have some serious adhesion problems on the left rear quarter, did I forget to wipe down? Too sick in the gut to take pictures. looks like I'm starting over.

didn't see this nice feature before I edited the main blog, did a little taping last night, but no pictures yet. I'm thinking this paint job will look real nice from twenty or thirty feet away. leaves a lot to be desired from close up though.

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Currently I am driving the Valiant daily 27 miles one way to work every day. when the weather finally stabilizes I will wet sand and polish the paint and probably have to add another coat to get the shine I want. In the meantime I am stripping my 89 suburban for a trick paint job that will involve the colors green, orange, red, yellow and maybe blue and black. I have several ideas for flames, fading and striping, I just haven't come up with the final inspiration yet. The last paint on it was a boring two tone shades of brown, foolish me didn't take any before pictures, but I will get some of the sanded down condition before I add any paint or finish the primer.